Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Demo Gameplay Videos and Impressions

The Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 demo is out in Japan and we have gameplay videos showcasing all the modes available to play.

With improved controls, new abilities, additional characters, and new gameplay modes, how does the game hold up?

Is NGS2 worth the wait?

The video up top is footage from Ryu’s story mode, complete with a boss battle at the end. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Now that you have seen the initial gameplay footage, let’s take a look at the controls:

Not shown: dpad controls for quick selecting weapons and healing and everything else.

The basic controls don’t even begin to tell the player what they can actually do in NGS2. The L2 button allows for Ryu to aim his long range weapon, the Fiend’s Bane Bow. A quick tap of the R2 button allows for instant use of Ryu’s bow, which is great for a quick long ranged attack. In addition to the bow, Ryu can also throw shurikens using the O button.

The direction pad is used for switching Ryu’s weapons and for healing purposes. You no longer have to continuously go to the start menu to switch from weapon to weapon. If you want to use the Dragon Sword and then move on to use the Falcon’s Talons, you can do that almost instantly. The game pauses as it allows you to select your weapons, so it isn’t quite seamless, but it doesn’t need to be.

After beating the demo with Ryu, the ability to play a mission as Ayane is unlocked. You will notice immediately that Ayane is much faster and flashier than Ryu Hayabusa. Check out the video below to get an idea of what Ayane is like in NGS2.

Can’t get enough of the action? That’s good because we have even more gameplay footage. Let’s first discuss the contents of the co-op missions in the demo.

There are three missions playable in the demo for co-op. Two of the missions are under a heading called Acolyte. For these missions your job is simple: Seek and Destroy! The third mission is under the heading referred to as Warrior. In this co-op mission not only do you have to eliminate the enemies around you, but you also have to fight a boss at the end.

In the video below you will see Ryu and Ayane taking out a bunch of enemies in the first Acolyte mission:

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Ryu teamed up with himself to take on an army of enemies?

We did too, so that’s why this next video showcases Acolyte mission 2 and the ability to choose the same character in co-op mode. Notice the variety of enemy types that are in mission 2 compared to first mission.

In co-op mode Ryu can equip only one weapon, so you will have to choose wisely. This actually makes choosing mirrors interesting as both players can have different styles of gameplay that will ultimately give the feeling of playing as a different character.

To the Left: Ryu with a sword. To the Right: Ryu with a BIGGER sword. Different characters!

With the addition of co-op comes the addition of new gameplay mechanisms. One such mechanism is the ability to revive a fallen friend. The first time a player is rescued in co-op mode, the health regained is significant. However, the more times a partner is rescued, the less health that person receives. Eventually it can get to the point where reviving gives practically just a touch of health.

The co-op gameplay doesn’t end with just the ability to rescue a friend. Another new addition is the ability to use a double team Ninpo attack to get out of difficult situations.

In the final video below, Ayane and Ryu face off against their first boss together. The battle gets quite fierce and the rescue ability is used several times in order to keep the battle going.

After playing the demo, the initial impressions on Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 are very positive. It’s extremely fast paced, it looks great, plays smoothly, and it has tons of content just in the demo alone. The rescue system in co-op also appears to be balanced. Ryu’s quick-select weapon change is a marked improvement on one of the few flaws from the original game.

While it is unfortunate that Momiji and Rachael are not playable in this demo, there is a cinematic that plays at the title screen showing the all the characters in action.

In this picture: Epic Hotness

If the demo is any indication of the final product, NGS2 seems to be packed with replay value. If playing on harder difficulties isn’t enough to keep you entertained, then the co-op missions will occupy you for quite some time. Considering that the full game is going to have online co-op, there is even more fun to be had with friends online.

Based on the demo alone, NGS2 is definitely well worth the wait. If you’re a fan of the Ninja Gaiden series, this is a day one purchase. If you’re not a fan of the series, pick up the demo now from the JPN PSN or wait until the 24th and give it a try.